Vengeance & Blood
by TwinTerrorsOfLuoyang
Summary: The ever-present threat of war hangs over the Three Kingdoms like a cloud, and even new faces are irrevocably entwined in the turmoil. Can and will anything change, though, when the grudges start to get personal?
1. Prologues

**A/N: As the username suggests, this story is published and written by two separate people. Though it isn't imperative, and we won't eviscerate anyone for not doing so, it would be nice if we could be referred to as such in reviews etc. Also, there are a few disclaimers I need to get out the way (sorry in advance for the rambling):**

**1) Neither of us own Dynasty Warriors, the franchise, places, names etc., as they all are owned by Koei and/or its subordinates. (Though if I did, Hyrule Warriors would actually include DW characters… am I the only one who wants to see a face-off between Link and Zhao Yun?)**

**2) The only things we do own are our OCs, Cao Zhen (intellectual property of LoyalToLoki), and Kong Muxue (intellectual property of me, EponymousAnonymous). If you want to use either of these characters in something (unlikely, but an ego-stroking notion nonetheless), please contact the relevant person for permission first.**

**3) Also, if you're dying for some absolute historical accuracy here, I'm afraid this isn't the story to read. We've tried to stick to the basics, inasmuch as Cao Cao is older than Cao Pi and the like (because otherwise it would just be plain freaky), but we've made things follow history less, and the games more, because, after all, this is a Dynasty Warriors fanfiction, not a biography of the Three Kingdoms period (this is also so we can fit our desired character back-stories in with the plot without the use of time travel). So if you're a bit OCD when it comes to chronology and historical canon, let us know so we can get our riot shields ready.**

**4) Neither of us are experts in the Chinese culture, ancient or otherwise. If any offense is caused to anybody pertaining to that, it is entirely accidental, and we apologise in advance in case that happens.**

**Finally, thanks for reading the annoying small-print (even though it's actually larger than the other text… oh, you know what I mean) bit! Don't feel obliged to write reviews or anything, though if you want to, it would be nice.**

**Stay classy, people!**

* * *

**CAO ZHEN**

In the ancient times, during the war of the three kingdoms: Wei, Wu and Shu, a patrol of purple armoured men wandered through the creaking, dark, black woods. They had just returned from a surprise attack from the enemy, Shu. They rode through the forest, blood stricken. a young figure, black silky hair, about mid twenties raised his firm hand to the air, halting the seven soldiers behind him. " Shh, can you not hear that?". His guard shook his head, waving his hair about. This man went off ahead scouting the forest for the mysterious noise, it was a gurgling kind of sound. " My Lord Cao Cao?" the guard asked his lord. Cao Cao crouched down to the ground, right down to the blossoming ground where he picked up an object. A basket. Underneath the thick, wool scarlet-red blanket contained something unusual to the Lord's eyes yet familiar. A Baby. The baby that looked as white as snow looked up to Cao Cao with her big mousey brown eyes and exploded a gurgle to the lord. The lord released a chuckle to the child. Lord Cao Cao looked down at the woven basket to see a note. Black ink on a piece of parchment. He picked it up with his hands, there it said _"Dear anyone who finds this, I do not have much time left. They are after me. The warriors of Shu. Please. Whoever you are, take her. She needs a home and a family where she can be raised without war, she needs to be safe. I do not wish for her to be in the hands of Shu. Whoever you are, you have my gratitude and my respect for whoever your forces are. Her name is ..."_. The last words containing the identity of the abandoned child were not written, for the end of the parchement paper were stained with bright red blood. Cao Cao exhaled a longing sigh. He knew that his potential ally was dead, trying to save her daughter. "You !", the lord points out to one of the soldiers. "M..me?" the wimpy man asks. " Yes you. Please, carry this child". Lord Cao Cao hands over the small, cold child to the man. Cao Cao looks up to the sky. "I swear down an oath". The Lord stood under the blossom tree where the tree started to lose some of the flowers, there he was inspired. " I will raise this child as my own, as my daughter. She shall be named Cao Zhen. And I will raise her in the memory of a fallen ally. She will be raised in beauty and grace". The lord apprehends onto his coal black horse, there they rode off back to Luoyang, where the daughter was raised in Cao Cao's care. 21 years passed on from that day. Cao Zhen had been raised by the Lord with his son Cao Pi. In all that time she had been raised as his daughter, as a beautiful smart young woman, as well as a Warrior and the most lethal woman in Wei. She became Cao Zhen, The Assassin of Wei.

* * *

**KONG MUXUE**

When days were young, and the Han had fallen, a great and wise leader rose to power, and faced off against his rivals in a gruesome battle for supremacy. Once his kingdom was established, and the capital was growing, men from all over the land flocked to serve under his banner, and brought their families with them. With thousands of lives buzzing around the central hive of the noble city of Luoyang, a young face among them was no surprise.

The daughter of a minor captain in the discerning Cao Cao's service, a young girl, her eyes bright and closely trained on proving herself to her lord, grew up amongst the shoots of this flourishing kingdom. But, as much as she strove to stand in the light of acceptance, a dark shadow hung over her, and the guilt forced upon her by her father was discernible to everyone she knew.

Determined to out-compete her troubled past, the girl matured, and slowly became a young lady, her demeanour and nature equal to that of a woman twice her age. Driven to silence by betrayal, and kept in doubt by her family, she found herself under the command of an up-and-coming strategist, and strove to make the most of her second chance.

And so, with her eyes now focussed on the fields of battle ahead, Kong Muxue stood at the crest of the wave, her weapon held high in the name of her lord.


	2. KM: A New Vocation

Kong Muxue leant against the palace wall, eyes three-quarters closed to the bustling crowd around her. She heard glimpses of conversations, but paid no heed to any of them, as she was too lost in her thoughts. Solemn, silent and solitary, she didn't flinch as yet another member of the throng shoved past her, banging into her bony shoulder and making her judder sideways. Barely aware of any intrusion on their part, she continued in her private musing until a loud and brash voice broke her silence.

'Where is this bright future the lord Cao Cao has promised?! We have toiled for years to bring him and his family what they desire, yet still we see no end to this war!' Muxue's eyes opened to slits, and her gaze fell on the speaking man a short distance away in the heart of the throng, faint disappointment flickering around the edges of her sage-green irises. What was it with people only seeing things that apply to themselves? To her mild dismay, the buffoon continued.

'I tell you, there is no future in fighting for these tyrants who pay no heed to their people! Cao Cao doesn't care about us!' Feeling her gaze upon him, the speaker turned, entreating Muxue with impassioned brown eyes. Muxue felt the beginnings of an amused smile creep onto her features.

'Lord Cao Cao cares about the people who matter.' A few people fell silent as she spoke up, and, realising the girl's point of view, the man's eagerness turned into scorn, and he regarded her with smug distaste.

'Oh, so you're one of his devotees, eh? Tell me, does he care about you?'

'No.' Muxue's reply was flat and unprovoked. The man stalled a little, and the edge of his lips curled into a snarl.

'Doesn't that bother you?!'

'No.' she maintained, her eyes expressionless and disinterested. The man pushed through the crowd to stand in front of her, and several bystanders backed out of the way, as if he had a reputation that preceded him. His eyes were wide, and anger was growing behind them.

'Is that all you can say?!' Muxue thought for a moment, smirking a little, and tilting her head to let a lock of reddish-brown hair fall away from her eye.

'No.' The man growled, and took a step forward, and Muxue levered her back off the white limestone walls, standing with her spine straightened. The man was at least a half foot or so taller than her, but that was no surprise; Muxue was unconcerned by the height difference between them, and rather enjoyed the irony of looking down upon a man that physically dwarfed her. He did not. He loomed over her.

'You think this is funny?'

'No,' she let her deliberate repetition make the man's skin crawl in ire before continuing, 'I think it's rather tragic.' The man took another half-step forward, clenching his hands into fists, and Muxue did the same.

'Your point, runt?' he spat, keeping emphasis from all but the venom in his voice.

'My point is,' she began, partially turning away from the man to give her enough space to roll her left shoulder, 'you think people like you are who matter, when it's actually the men who are willing to give their lives fighting for a future designed by someone capable of ruling this land. In honesty, it's fools like you who in fact hinder this progress you're so desperate to have, and so happy to complain about the delay of. Have you never thought to join the army and speed things up a little yourself, or are you too busy letting others do the work for you?'

Maintaining sincere eye contact throughout her berating of the man, she observed the twitching at the edge of his eye that indicated his lack of experience in being spoken down to. He seized her by the neck, pushing her head back into the wall. A clearing formed in the crowd where people made themselves scarce, and the man leant in, sneering.

'And what do you know about work, runt?' Muxue smiled affably, despite the infringement on her breathing capacity, and gave no answer. In the place of the anticipated increase in pressure on her throat, the man instead removed his hand, and backed off. Muxue straightened again, a frown of partial bafflement on her face.

Her unspoken question was answered when a hard fist slammed into her cheekbone, snapping her head sideways and making her recoil in the numb recognition that pain would soon follow. Still facing away from the man, she couldn't help but chuckle a little at his willingness to prove her right, and himself wrong.

'Case in point.' She muttered to herself.

'What was that?!' the man snapped, not quite hearing her. She turned to face him once more, grinning.

'My case is proven in a single point, ' she laughed, 'and I didn't even have to say anything.' The man went to punch again, so Muxue sidestepped, letting the oncoming fist fly into the limestone behind her. Her grin only increased as the man cried out in pain and annoyance.

'How dare you?!' His glower was accusatory, but had no effect on Muxue, who shrugged.

'I dare because you're an idiot. If you think violence without thought is going to solve anything, then perhaps you should defect to Wu.' The man lunged forwards, sending Muxue skittering backwards into the wall instinctively. He swung again, but she ducked, determined not to be a hypocrite and retaliate. She skipped away from the man, and made some much-needed distance between the two of them, backing up the palace steps. She could have sworn she heard a chuckling in the darkness behind the pillars, but she disregarded it as the man advanced again.

'You think your pathetic words will have an effect on me, runt?!'

'Clearly, they already have,' she taunted, leaning back as the man made a swipe for her throat once more, 'I'm sure you had better aim before you were angry.' The man let out a grumbling roar, and clamped a paw-like hand around her shoulder, tightening his grip painfully. Muxue winced, having been unable to dodge for fear of falling backwards over the steps, and clawed at his large fingers.

'Whelps like you need to learn their place.' He said menacingly, using his height to eclipse Muxue's world, making her irises dilate sharply in adrenalin and the stark contrast in light levels. She tried falteringly to maintain po-faced.

'I could say the same to you; after all, born traitors have no place on the palace steps.' Ignoring the thumping pain in her shoulder, Muxue pulled herself into a crouch, and used her altitude to her advantage as she thrust her left leg into a sharp kick into the man's shin.

Having been jerked downwards by her manoeuvre, he was incapable of moving his legs without losing his balance, but he didn't keep it for long anyway as his leg was shunted out from under him, and he collapsed onto his face, his collarbone catching the edge of the limestone with a crunch. The man's hand no longer gripping her ball-and-socket joint, she sighed and sat back on the steps, tentatively rubbing life back into it. It stung, but it was necessary.

Her eyes flicked sideways as she saw the shadows shift slightly in the alcove-like space beside her, and narrowed in suspicion. Not turning, she gained an idea of the authority of the figure bathed in shade as the man on his front looked up fearfully, before making his tactical retreat back to the insulating confines of the crowd.

'Born traitors, hm?' Out of nowhere came a voice, which was fairly deep, though by no means abnormally so, and its polished smoothness implied the confidence of an accomplished orator. Muxue turned to face the man who had spoken.

From her position at the man's feet, the first thing she saw were a pair of dark shoes, detailed with gold inlay and pointed at the toe, which were almost obscured by the pale blue ends of wide-legged pleated trousers. Just above the base of these trousers was the hem of the man's outer robe, which was a deep purple colour, and edged in gold like his shoes. As her eyes traced up the black rune-like markings that covered the legs of the robe, the man's trousers faded to white, and were soon met by a central blue strip of cloth that hung between his legs, running up and under where another layer of purple robes met and covered the man's torso. His chest was more wide than deep, and suggested a man who had seen battle, but had not necessarily been at its frontline. Atop this torso was a neck, bordered by a tall blue collar, which sat under a head, bearing eyes whose corners were wrinkled slightly into an intense and attentively scrutinising chocolate-brown stare.

'L-lord Sima Yi...!' Though Muxue had never seen the man in person before, she was aware enough of talk about the up-and-coming strategist to have a vague idea what he would look like. Hastily recognising the power he had over her, she lowered her head to the floor in a kind of kneeling bow. There she remained for a few moments, before the realisation dawned on her that the purple-clad man wasn't intending to reply. She glanced upwards once more.

'My lord?' Her eyes were greeted with empty space where the strategist had previously been. Kong Muxue frowned at the darkness.

'Perhaps another time, then,' she rose to her feet, and bowed properly, putting a fist in her palm and bending her head and neck to face the floor, 'Sir.'

* * *

As seemed to be the permanent state of being in Luoyang, Muxue couldn't find enough headspace to think, and she pushed her way through the ever-present throng at the palace steps, trying her best to restrain her growing frustration. Some were still shouting in protest, but most were simply jostling for a place to stand; the noise was still substantial, though, and, as always, her head was starting to thump after just a few minutes of being on the streets. Eventually, she got herself to within throwing distance of the great wooden doors, and froze in place as they creaked, opening slightly. The entirety of the crowd fell silent in unison with her.

A pair of soldiers scuttled out of the crack in the doors, and pulled the huge panels outwards, revealing the people standing behind them. At the front were more soldiers, this time with spears, the butts of which hanging a few inches off the floor, but it was the three behind them that really caught Muxue's eye, and a few sharp intakes of awestruck breath flicked across the crowd like a zephyr of wind. Everyone, including her, fell to their knees, fists wrapped in palms and bowing. After a period of time pre-determined by general decorum, the crowd rose to their feet once more, and looked on their king and his cohort.

The purple-clad strategist from earlier was present, and he leered behind the youngest of the group like a shadow with a mind of its own. In front of him, the younger man stood, his ice-blue eyes making her blood run cold, regardless of the fact he wasn't even looking at her. He had the same jet-black hair as the man beside him, though longer, and without the accompanying facial hair. Kong Muxue muttered under her breath.

'Cao Pi… like father, like son.' The aforementioned father raised his hand into the air, ushering both Muxue's lips and thoughts into silence. Taking a few steps forward, he cast his piercing gaze across his audience, his face set in a stern line.

'As of today, we will be executing traitors and defectors in the central courtyard.' Not quite allowing enough time for the crowd to start talking, he paused momentarily before continuing, 'Anyone found harbouring or aiding these people in any way will be executed alongside them.' A worried exchange of glances was shared throughout the throng, but Muxue ignored a few pained looks in her direction, her eyes trained firmly trained on the dirt in front of her.

_Traitor… an odd word. A word like "defector" made sense, because it implied a defect in not being able to stay your current course, but "traitor"…a certain aura hung around the word, as if suffocating the vitality and life from its bearer. It clung to the surrounding air like a miasma, and seeped into the walls. It reeked, and the stench of treachery could easily be traced, like blood to or from a lifeless pile of viscera. In the end, that's all traitors are destined to achieve._

_A glint off a blade, a slicing sound, and a thump. Is that really all there was for following your heart? Maybe. But even if it was the case, perhaps it was well-deserved. Hearts mean nothing if they don't lie with the right cause, after all. In fact, hearts do little besides clouding your judgement and banishing reason when you need it most, though some would argue that the reasoning of a heart is the best reasoning of all. Clearly, those people have never experienced what it's like to have one._

An echoing bang snapped Muxue's head upwards. The doors were closed, and those who'd passed through them had done so once more, leaving the palace's threshold noticeably empty. She looked around at the dispersing crowd, vaguely disappointed in her absent-mindedness, and stood for a few moments, trying to work out what to do next. Eventually electing that heading home might be a good idea, she turned on the spot, and began trudging along the dust-lined streets.

Eventually she reached a crossroads, and looked up to see where to go next – after all, Luoyang was a large place, even to a long-standing inhabitant such as herself – and traced the line of the huge palace walls to discern which area of the compass she was heading towards. Recognising the west gate in the near distance, she looked away quickly, as if her eyes had been stung. Increasing her pace, she began to trot back to her house.

* * *

Kong Muxue's abode was fairly unassuming; it was pretty much just the average wooden hut-like construction used to house soldiers temporarily, but had since been developed on when permanency came to call. Approaching the front door, she rapped twice, and allowed a half-minute or so for it to swing open. Once it did, the girl with the burnished hair beamed and embraced her mother, who bore a most striking resemblance to her child, save being taller, and having eyes almost an identical colour to her hair.

'Mother.' The middle-aged woman smiled warmly at the address, and gave Muxue room to enter the house. The front door opened into a kind of kitchen, with a table, some plates, and a breastplate slotted over the back of a chair, where it had been suspended for polishing. Upon seeing it, the daughter half-grimaced at her parent, 'I take it father has been preparing for ceremonies again?' the woman shook her head, eyes alight with good humour.

'Your father actually has reason to this time, my dear. Why don't you go and see him? He's in his room.' Muxue nodded silently, and immediately headed for the stairs at the back of the cramped room.

As she mounted the final step, she looked tentatively over the precipice into her father's room. He was sat on his bed, examining a scroll closely whilst angst lead him to knot and unknot tangles in his previously-slick dark brown hair. He looked up at her, and beckoned for her to come in. Doing so, she bowed her head in a sign of respect, and knelt on the floor in front of her father.

'Father, mother says I should see you.' The tired-faced man nodded, and handed Muxue the scroll at the top of the pile on his bent legs.

'This is a court summons.' He said shortly, a tongue darting over his dry lips. Muxue looked up, puzzled.

'How does this involve me, father? It is you who gets summoned to court, not me.' Her father frowned, and scratched his scalp anxiously.

'Usually, that's a correct observation. This one's yours.' The umber-haired girl gasped in shock, and gaped at the scroll, disbelieving. Her father was not misinformed.

'But… how… why…?' she stammered, her voice barely a whisper. She was only young; she'd not had the time to achieve anything, let alone be summoned to court for her deeds. What could they want with her? Her father shrugged.

'Whatever the reason, it appears you'll need a lesson or two in politics.'

* * *

'No! Muxue, again!' The browbeaten girl flinched as her father gesticulated wildly, venting his frustration on the air around him. He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair in nervousness, turning to his daughter, who was trying her best, though she wasn't getting very far.

'Very well, father. From where shall we start?' Her father deadpanned at her, one eyebrow slightly raised.

'From the top, Muxue. You didn't get any of it right.' Muxue deflated a little and nodded, allowing her father to move to stand in front of her.

'Okay... I am a lord, and I have just entered the court.' he prompted slowly. Following her instructions, his daughter threw herself to her knees with a thump, and noisily slapped her hand round her fist. Her father rolled his eyes.

'Have you no grace whatsoever? Oh, mercy be upon us…'

'I-I'm sorry, father,' Muxue stammered, her cheeks heating with embarrassment, 'I shall try again...'

'No,' her father stopped her in her tracks, 'there's no need; you'll never do that properly.'

'But father, if you let me try-' Muxue pleaded.

'Enough!' she was cut off by a stern glare from her father.

'Y-yes, father.' She shrank back into herself, and looked to the floor. Her father sighed.

'Let's move on. Now child, what else would a young lady at service in the court need to learn?' Muxue thought for a moment, and then her eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

'She would need to be able to vehemently protect her superiors with every fibre of her being, would she not?' Her father groaned long-sufferingly, and put a palm over his face.

'Will you never understand…? Your purpose is to gain favour, to entertain, to do the tasks set you by your master, and no more!' he snapped. 'You will never see battle, don't you understand? You are trapped in your childhood fantasy of being a great heroine, and that will never come to pass!'

'B-but… Lady Wang Yi…' Muxue suggested under her breath, much to the exacerbation of her father's ire.

'Lady Wang Yi actually possesses an ounce of skill with a blade, unlike you.' He said venomously, and his daughter looked away in shame. Had he seen her practicing? She just thought she hadn't found the right blade yet…

'Kong Muxue… I gave you that name for a reason. Don't be mistaken in thinking that you're capable of anything beyond that. Learn your place.' Muxue nodded falteringly.

'Yes, father.'

* * *

Home was a word that brought pictures of cramp and awkward silences to Kong Muxue's mind. She didn't dislike - nor did she resent - her family, but she did much prefer the peace of her own headspace, particularly when she didn't have to share it with anyone else. As she quietly padded along the dusty streets, callously used to the glare that ricocheted off the pavement, she wondered why it was that was the case, but found her answer in the process. Being allowed to think was a privilege she only got when she was alone.

That, above all, was why she dreaded being summoned to court. She'd been instructed – though at the time it seemed like browbeaten – that her thoughts were to be formulated for her, and the only process to occupy her mind were those telling her how to behave to prevent ridicule for her, though mainly for her father. He always made out that he was a figurehead at court, whereas in fact he'd only been summoned twice, and those incidents were because his superior had been captured by Shu. Muxue had known this for years, and was never to tell, but in her head, she could say it as loudly as she wanted. She could scream it from the watchtower if she felt the urge. She smiled to herself. They weren't going to be able to stop her thinking whatever she wanted, no matter what she said or did on the outside.

The Luoyang palace gates were as they usually were – bolted tight shut, but always with a crack down the center of them, making those who walked past feel like they were being watched in whatever they did. Muxue could discern the unease in the faces of passers-by, and chuckled lightly. To her, it was a relief that the city was being watched over, even if it was in a mildly-perturbing way. Trotting up the steps and ducking into the shade cast by the overhang, she knocked hard on the solid wood. After a few seconds, one of the huge plates swung inward, and the comparative night within made Muxue squint. A voice came from within, and it was thin, female, and slightly hoarse.

'Do you have a summons?' Kong Muxue peered at the blackness, and thrust the scroll in her hand into it. It was taken from her, and she stepped away from the opening to allow some light through to the woman behind the door. A short while passed while she read.

'I see. Very well… please, come in.' she pulled the door open further, and beckoned for Muxue to enter. As she did so, and her eyes adjusted to the light levels, she saw properly what the woman looked like. She was roughly in her mid-fifties, and she had the rosy complexion of one who was permanently flustered. Muxue smiled politely, and bowed her head.

'Thank you, ma'am.' The woman smiled slightly, presumably in wistfulness at Muxue's youth, and the girl enquired, 'The summons says that I should report to Lady Zhang Chunhua. May I impose on you to show me the way to her ladyship?' The middle-aged woman nodded, and held her hand up to a corridor that began to make itself visible as Muxue's eyes became fully accustomed to the gloom.

A few slits cut in the thick stone walls let light through in white shafts. As the young girl passed through them, the strobe effect made her clothes seem like they were lit from within by some sort of fluorescence. The girl chastised herself for allowing her thoughts to be loose in this way, and kept her mind in check with near-visible effort.

Reaching a corner in the hallway, Kong Muxue stopped in her tracks as she heard the ringing echo of hard-soled footwear on the marble floor. She stooped to a bow, and lowered her head just in time to be unable to see the lady that walked into her would-be eyeshot. She knew the woman's hierarchical position from her response to this gesture, however: she laughed pleasantly, clearly at ease.

'You must be Kong Rui's daughter.' Muxue, still bowing, glanced up, and nervous eyes of sage green met serene orbs of chocolate brown. She nodded.

'I am, my lady.' The woman smiled, and she regarded the girl's posture for a moment.

'You may stand, Muxue.' Her eyes widened in surprise, but soon returned to their normal state as she chided herself that her ladyship would of course know her name. She straightened her back, and realised – without surprise – that she was the shorter of the two of them; perhaps unusually, it wasn't by much, but there was a discernible difference in height, as ever there would be between her and anyone over the age of ten.

'Thank you, my lady.' Muxue nodded, and trained her eyes on the floor, determining to not blow it on the first day by scrutinising those of her utmost superior. Zhang Chunhua chuckled lightly.

'You seem nervous.' She observed, making the girl with burnished hair blush slightly.

'I-I am, my lady.' An amused smile re-materialised on the woman's lips.

'There is no need. We don't bite.' Muxue forced a bashful grin, still looking at the floor. After a short instant she looked up, upon which the lady continued, 'That's better. Now, come with me.' She turned away, and began walking down the hallway from whence she came. Eager to not fall behind, Muxue trotted to catch up.

A silence of sorts fell as they walked, and the young girl found herself gazing at the intricate stonework that gave emphasis to Luoyang Palace's already significant majesty. As light glanced off stone, so too did her scuffed brown leather boots as they skimmed over the hallway floor in a hasty effort to remain level with her superior. A few feet ahead, and staying in front by leg-length alone, Lady Zhang Chunhua rounded a corner, and stopped shortly after, at a doorway to what was presumably an office of some kind. Kong Muxue skidded to a halt, and was gestured to stay by the woman as she smiled, her eyes glimmering faintly with what could almost be described as mischief, and placed a hand on the door-handle. The young girl nodded, and looked away politely as the lady quietly slipped inside. Taking a step towards the door so as not to appear hasty to leave now her guide had vanished from sight, Muxue's ears couldn't help but metaphorically prick up as they caught on a voice she recognised.

'Ah! There you are, my dear. Is the girl here yet?' It was the strategist from earlier, Sima Yi. Now her summons to court began to make some sense to Muxue; the main issue, however, is why on earth a strategist would have need of some random girl who got into a fight on the palace steps.

'Yes, my lord.' Her curiosity bettering her, she slowly padded up to the door, and leant her ear against the edge of the doorframe.

'Excellent! Well, what are your first impressions?' Muxue was a little confused at the remark – why would a man such as him want confirmation from his wife? She continued to eavesdrop, eager to learn more.

'She is intelligent enough, my lord. She may indeed be suitable for what you have in mind.' Muxue's blood ran cold – all the time they were just walking alongside one another, her ladyship had been assessing her? This kind of taking first impressions a little too seriously was something her father had warned her of, but she'd dismissed the idea as overthinking on his part. Now, however, she was starting to regret that.

'She is? Have you spoken to her?' came the reply, slightly suspiciously.

'A little, my lord, but that is all it takes.' Presumably, a reproachful look was passed on, as the strategist's next remark was more considered than the last.

'O-of course, my dear. I am sure your judgement is sound.' Muxue backed away from the door a little, perturbed by the word. What exactly did he have in mind for her? Either way, the impression she'd made was worryingly unforced, and she knew without a doubt that almost every time that happened, so did a rather large amount of trouble. She attempted to act natural as a satisfied chuckle came from Lady Zhang Chunhua, who was presumably about to leave.

The door did indeed open, but, instead of only doing so to allow an exit, is stayed ajar, and the two people inside looked outwards to the girl in the corridor. The room beyond was, as expected, an officious space, containing shelves, bookcases and a desk all strewn with scrolls, maps and papers; it appeared that no-one in this city had organisational skills. At the table, sitting in a hardwood carver chair with his intertwined hands propping up his head, the familiar strategist examined Muxue with mild appraisal, more of himself than her, and flicked his eyes up to hers.

'Kong Muxue.' He greeted, slightly smug. The girl bowed, and cupped her fist in her palm.

'Lord Sima Yi.' Standing up once more, she looked to Zhang Chunhua, who had one hand rested on the back of her husband's chair.

'It seems you've been given permission, Muxue. Would you like to come with me?' Muxue nodded, and stepped back far enough to allow the lady into the corridor, though she couldn't help but grin as Sima Yi, remaining seated, gave a grimace, as if the aforementioned permission had been given before he was consulted. His wife, appearing not to notice, though more likely just disregarding the two's exchange of facial expressions as some kind of mercy, closed the study door almost noiselessly, and started off down the hallway with a calmly satisfied gait. Muxue, her curiosity temporarily silenced by a newfound dread for what the woman in front of her would be capable of if she was ever angered, followed. Tentatively, she spoke, nipping another potentially-judgemental silence in the bud.

'My Lady, may I ask what precisely it is that I've been given permission for?' In front, her ladyship nodded, fully aware of the fact that the girl was watching her for a response.

'Of course. Lord Sima Yi has, for some time, been eager for a dedicated minder for his sons.' If Muxue had been alone, she would have taken this as a cue to swear creatively – she was about as skilled with children as a drunken cow was with appreciation of the fine arts, 'However, being the overachiever that he is, he has rejected all candidates. That is, until he saw that you have a mind and voice of your own.' The lady looked over her shoulder, an encouraging smile on her lips, and Muxue smiled in an autonomous reply. Assuming recent events meant that more familiarity was acceptable, she ventured into the uneasy territory of amicable conversation.

'That is a kind thing to say, my Lady, if a little to my surprise.' The woman laughed.

'Did you expect merit to be judged on the ability to keep your mouth shut, Muxue?' Muxue floundered for a moment, then nodded, abashed.

'Yes, my Lady.' Zhang Chunhua reinstated her welcoming smile.

'Usually, that is the case, but my husband has decided that people who can think and speak for themselves stand a better chance of ending the chaos. He believes that a free-thinking example like yours would be the encouragement our youngest needs.' Muxue cocked her head, attempting to appear at ease in this increasingly-personal exchange.

'Your youngest, my Lady?' The way her ladyship's posture changed betrayed her pride.

'Yes, young Zhao seems to think that there is no purpose in work when there is more fun to be had playing around.' Seeing how fond the woman was of her child, Muxue endeavoured to take a light-hearted approach to this open remark.

'Well, my Lady, I must admit, there is something in that.' Chunhua chuckled, and beckoned for the girl to walk parallel with her.

'You think so? I am interested to hear why that's the case.' The atmosphere immediately shifting from informality to interrogation, Muxue found her hands knotting themselves together at the base of her torso.

'W-well, my Lady, I believe that enjoying yourself is of vital importance when it comes to attainment. In my experience – though that isn't much – I find that the more enthusiasm you have for what you do, the better you do it.' She thought for a moment, and then hastily added, 'That is my opinion, anyway.'

'Hmm… you make a good point, Muxue. Do you think that perhaps, Zhao would show more willingness to get things done if he were to gain some enjoyment from them?' Muxue gaped at the ruminating expression on the woman's face, as if she was truly welcoming her opinion. She stammered.

'I-I do, my Lady.' Zhang Chunhua smiled again, satisfied, and locked her eyes onto Muxue's expectantly.

'Then that is what you will ensure, yes?' The girl blushed slightly, cool dread filtering once more into her bloodstream as she remembered what was now to be her job.

'I will try, my Lady.'

* * *

Kong Muxue rested her chin on her palm as she watched her charge through drooping eyelids. At a table, a dark-haired boy of around fifteen was surveying an array of maps and scrolls that were scattered in front of him, his interest in studying them only faltering because of the unchanging stare he was receiving from the guard sitting on the windowsill, arm propped up on her crossed legs. He shifted a little as the girl who in actuality wasn't much older than him continued her scrutiny of his every movement, and cleared his throat with fledgling authority.

'I'm not going anywhere, you know; I'm aware of the risks. I'm not a child.' Muxue focussed on him, and scoffed quietly.

'If you weren't, young master, I wouldn't have been assigned to mind you.' Brown eyes remained defiantly in contact with green ones.

'Unless my father has no other use for you at the present time.' Muxue didn't falter.

'If your father had no use for me, he wouldn't have requested that I serve him.'

'You clearly didn't hear me correctly. You may be surplus to requirement until he needs you to die in battle.' The ruddy-haired girl couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's audacity, whether the young Sima was intending to be humorous or no.

'Master Sima Shi,' she nearly coughed, 'I do not believe I am likely to die in any battle at the present time. ' The teenager's eyes brightened with his growing grin, and flicked away from Muxue's, and at the window behind her. Muxue took it as a relinquishing gesture, and let herself smile genuinely at the young man. As she glanced over his face, she was unsure if his apparent maturity was down to the boy being wise beyond his years, or if it was merely the striking resemblance he bore to his father. Reasoning that it was likely a combination of the two, she concluded that, whatever the reason, he was indeed a talent in the making.

'Perhaps you won't die…' he began, his lips curling into a smirk just like his father's, 'if I don't tell my father you let Zhao ransack the armoury.'

Muxue's eyes widened, and she whirled to face the window at her back. Outside, a boy recognisable by his mop of floppy brown hair was gleefully evading capture by a guard, a short-sword held triumphantly over his head. Barely masking an expletive - much to Sima Shi's amusement - she made hastily for the door, calling over her shoulder as she did so.

'Stay here!' The teenaged lord continued to smirk.

'Why, can you not fight a battle on two fronts, then, Kong Muxue?' The guardian rolled her eyes, groaning in irritation, and stuck her head back round the doorframe.

'Just be here when I get back.' The boy nodded, conceding, and returned to examining the documents on the table with a victorious glint in his eye.

* * *

Muxue bowed her head as her master continued to pace, breathing through gritted teeth.

'How many horses?' Muxue swallowed hard.

'Twelve, my Lord.'

'So, you took your eye off him for less than five minutes, and he managed to let a dozen horses loose on the guardhouse?'

'Yes, my Lord.' Sima Yi stopped pacing, and turned to glare at his youngest son, who was standing a little way behind his minder, who too was feeling the brunt of his father's ire.

'Zhao, how do you explain this?' the brown-haired boy cleared his throat, and took an edgy step forward.

'Well, father, I was trying to get away from the armourer, and I sort of stumbled backwards and knocked the stable doors open-' He was cut off by a paint-stripping glare from his father.

'Zhao, why were you trying to get away from the armourer?' Zhao took a breath in preparation for immediate speech, but, finding no acceptable way to phrase it, descended into mild petulance.

'Why can't I be taught how to fight, father? Shi's happy staring at maps all day, but I want to have some fun!' Sima Yi's expression didn't falter.

'…You stole a sword, didn't you?'

'He did, sire.' Muxue nodded in confirmation, and received a displeased glance from the young lord, who muttered accusingly under his breath.

'Traitor.' His father pressed his point regardless of the apparent betrayal.

'Zhao…' he warned.

'…Yes, father, I did.' Sima Yi sighed in exasperation.

'Zhao, you have more important things to do than cause trouble for my men. Can't you at least concentrate on the task in hand?' Sima Zhao scoffed in defiance.

'But the task in hand is pointless! Why can't Shi handle the strategy while I go out and actually fight people?' The strategist rolled his eyes.

'Zhao, that's not how it works-' he was halted by his son's vehemence.

'But can't I at least learn how to fight? You know I want to do that above all else.' His father's expression softened minutely at the recognition of the passion aflame in his son's eyes, and he looked to the boy's minder, who was standing perfectly still, trying her best not to impact upon the conversation thus far.

'Kong Muxue, do you have any experience with a blade?' Caught off-guard by the unexpectedness of her superior's request, Muxue looked up, and stumbled a little over her words.

'I-I have some, my Lord, though it is more self-induced practice than actual tutoring.'

'Can you teach him?' Sima Yi gestured to his boy, who looked expectantly at his minder. She thought for a moment, then conceded.

'Likely not, my Lord.' Zhao was temporarily crestfallen, but he regained his enthusiasm as an idea came to him.

'Father, we could learn together!' Sima Yi chuckled, the tension of the moment seemingly dissipated.

'That is hardly possible, Zhao. If Kong Muxue cannot teach you, then there is no point in her knowing how to fight in the first place.' Zhao pouted in rebuke.

'But she wants to learn too, father. Right, Muxue?' he turned to the girl expectantly, his expression indicating that now was an opportunity for her to regain favour with him. Unable to speak out against her lord, however, Muxue was lost for words. As it transpired, she had no need of them anyway, as the familiar click of shoes as their wearer entered the room indicated that someone would speak for her.

'My Lord, surely it is Muxue's choice as to whether or not she learns to fight.' As Zhang Chunhua's dulcet tones wreaked their inevitable effect on her husband, Muxue fought back the urge to cringe. As much as her father's repetitive lecturing that having your opinions formed for you was a good thing had not rung true with her over the past months, Muxue was beginning to see some advantage in the concept. However, that did not mean she was fond of the squirming that it induced in both her and her lord. After a short exchange of glances between him and his wife, Sima Yi's attention returned to the awkward-feeling girl in front of him.

'Of course, my dear, you are right. Muxue, you too are to receive tutoring, though separately from Zhao.' There was an annoyed groan from the boy, who was chided by a hushed remark from his mother, 'Is that acceptable to you?' Muxue smiled thankfully at her lord, and bowed.

'Very much so, sire.'


	3. CZ: Greetings and Revealments

The blazing tango sun rose towards the western art of the temple where Cao Zhen had been raised for the past 21 years. In a field towards the east, a lonely figure sat there. Her black silky hair flowing in the direction of the wind, her eyes shut from the wind. She opens her soft eyes slowly as the beams of sun broke through the barriers of her eyelids to blind her, the eyes are dark brown. she lifts her eyes up towards the bright orange glows of the sun, there she released a huge sigh from her parted rouge lips. The sapphire silk scarf that was covering her head, like a hood flowed away from her head, exposing the rest of her hair to the world. She turned around to try and chase the scarf, the figure walking in the fields caught the blue scarf with his firm hand. " Hey, i'm glad I caught this, you love this thing" a male voice states. Cao Zhen chuckled a little, smiling her rouged lips. " thank you Li Dian". Li Dian moved the double ended sword that laid next to Cao Zhen next to her Shield where the Shield laid close to her body. Li Dian proceeded to sit down next to her, clunking his metallic armour as he perched onto the soft green grass as the sun rose slowly.

" it's a beautiful sight isn't it" say says with a sigh. " Just like you" Li Dian says, scratching the back of his black, tightly curled hair. " why, you're a brother to me Li Dian". " I know, I know, it's just that you're a beauty of Wei. You could be more beautiful than Zhenji". " you can't say that !" Zhen says with a tone in her voice. " My Lady." a voice appears from behind them. " Lord Cao Cao demands you". The figure walks off. " I wonder why my father demands me". Li Dian shrugs, raising his shoulders closer to his face. " I do not know, maybe because it's your birthday !" Li Dian says gleefully. Cao Zhen and Li Dian walk towards the temple together, arm in arm where Lord Cao Cao waited impatiently. " My daughter, I wish to speak to you...alone", he raises his thick eyebrow and tilts his head slightly towards Li Dian. Li Dian slips his arm out of Zhen's and strides off, walking away from Cao Zhen. Cao Cao then turns his head back towards his beautiful daughter. " Cao Zhen, you need to know one last thing before you leave this place, to do things of your own". " ha, father, I will never leave, I will stay loyal to Wei" Cao Zhen remarks. The lord looks up with sorrow eyes towards Zhen's pure eyes. " my daughter, look at the beauty you have become", he places his pale cold hand upon her bright rosy warm face. " you are not mine".

The girl raised her thin eyebrows in confusion. " what do you mean?". The lord released a longing sigh " you are not my daughter, I found you in the woods, in a basket, where your mother left you. This note was left in the basket. I took you in. by her request". From behind him, he pulls out the bloody parchment note and hands it to Cao Zhen where she read the note and released a tear that shimmered in the beams of blazing sunlight. " w..why did you not tell me", she looks up to her so called father. " you were young, confused, dazed. You were in the middle of your training, you were in love". Filled with anger and hatred for her father, Cao Zhen goes to reach for the double ended sword that laid in the sheath on her belt but she did not. She let her hand slip off the handle. Zhen looks ahead to see a young figure walking towards Cao Cao, mid twenties. " Sister, I have news from Zhang He, he demands to see you". She looks up slowly towards her brother with her dry red eyes. "Hmph fine". She walks past Cao Cao where she takes her left shoulder and forces it into his where he stumbled backwards in pain. The lord grips his shoulder in pain. He hisses and gasps as his shoulder hurts. " father, did you tell her?". " yes, I told her Cao Pi. I ask you of this, look out for her, keep an eye on her, I feel as if I have just places anger and hatred in her heart".

Cao Zhen strode towards the courtyard, with a bounce within each step as her boots dug into the dry mud before meeting the concrete. " ahh,my lady, I have one more piece of advice for you, as your mentor I advise you, as a beauty yourself, I suggest you look for beauty within the others close to you". As Zhang He says these words with pride, he turns Cao Zhen around and he flows his hand out towards a figure training some men." take my advise Zhen, look for beauty in everything. Good luck". The figure Zhang He pointed towards was Li Dian. As those words danced around Zhen's mind, she sits down onto the ground, leaning against the blossom tree, with her boots that raised towards her thighs leaned up close towards her stomach. Her hands where the sleeve of her glove

created a point near her middle finger was leaned up against her lips, thinking about the words that Zhang He said to her, linking it to her father's words, on the truth of her origins.

As Cao Zhen sits there with her puzzled mind, the lanky dark figure walks up to her and croutches down and sits next to her underneath the blossom tree. " sister, I am sorry." Cao Pi says to her directly with no hesitation. She turns her head slowly towards him, making her bones in her neck click a little from where she had stay in her position for a while. She puts her purple glove onto the back of her neck where she begins to rub. " it's not your doing". Cao Pi looks towards her with his dark eyes. " you cannot blame father". She raises her thin eyebrow sharply. " I suppose, I can let it go". " You were lucky to be found by my father you know. You could be in the hands of Shu or Wu right now if it was not for my father. Be lucky Cao Zhen. You may not of lived to see this day." she raises her left hand towards her face and lifts her index finger and taps it on her dry cracked lips. She thinks for a brief moment. " Hm, you truly are wise brother" she says with a chuckle. " thank you". She puts her soft head onto Cao Pi's shoulder where a piece of metal armour laid. Cao Pi did not know what to make of this. He raises his hand towards Cao Zhen's head and he starts to stoke her black silky hair slowly. In the distance, there a figure studies her with close steady eyes.

" My Lady", a young girl, early twenties comes running up to Cao Zhen and Cao Pi, carrying a heavy golden harp within her arms, the girl was breathless. " Zhang He demands your presence", Cai Wenji says. Cao Zhen remains silent. Cao Pi gets up, lifting his body from the wet ground. He turns his body around and puts his hand out towards Cao Zhen to help her off the ground. She places her sweaty palm into his and grips on hard where he lifts her slim body up from the dry and fresh ground as Cao Pi uses his all of his weight weight to drag her upwards in a swift and quick motion. They both stay silent and soon departed from one another. Cao Zhen raises her Silk hood over her head and headed towards where Zhang He was waiting. She walks through a darkened archway when an unknown figure takes hold of her flimsy arm and squeezes it tightly, wrapping his hand around her arm. " Do not get to close to him, you might just regret it". He walked off into the distance, revealing his face within the sunlight. It was Xiahou Dun.

As Cao Zhen tries to forget about her uncle's crazy words, she meets Zhang He in the Courtyard where he awaits. " Cao Zhen, I have been waiting". " yes I know master, tell me, why am I required?" she asks with curiosity. " I have mentored you for all your life now, I have taught you the ways of beauty and grace, as well as the way of the wise and the brave. But now it is your turn" Zhang He remarks with confidence. Cao Zhen raises her thin black eyebrow and her Brown eyes widen slightly as the news comes as a shock to her. " what do you mean master ?" she asks. " it is your turn to teach others the ways I have taught you". Before another painful word to Zhen's ears comes out of Zhang He's mouth, he turns around to see a figure in the distance striding towards Zhang He and Cao Zhen. Each step contained a bounce and a thump. A young teen about 18, with dark, orange ginger hair that falls to the back of her shoulder blades,her eyes bright sage green, her build is weak. her thick metal armour covering her body. Cao Zhen studies her body and her figure. " Cao Zhen, this is Kong Muxue, she will be your student. Kong Muxue this is your new master, Cao Zhen". Cao Zhen looks at the figure and studies her, knowing that this student had potential. " Hmph, fine,we start at first dawn" Cao Zhen says with attitude, releasing those words from her soft lips. She walks off, back to the temple, not even greeting the new bright girl into the forces of Wei.


End file.
